Ehsanullah Ehsan (Urdu: احسان اللہ احسان, real name: Liaqat Ali (Urdu: لیاقت علی)) is a former spokesman of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and later Jamaat-ul-Ahrar.[1][2][3] As a spokesperson of the groups, Ehsan would use media campaigns, social media networks and call up local journalists to claim responsibility for terrorist attacks on behalf of the groups. He was initially a spokesman for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). In 2014, he left TTP after he had developed ideological differences with the TTP leadership following the appointment of Fazlullah as the leader of the group. He later co-founded Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and became its spokesman.[4][5] In 2015, as a spokesman of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, he condemned Fazlullah-led Tehrik-e-Taliban attack on a school in Peshawar.[6]
In April 2017, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Asif Ghafoor announced that Ehsan had surrendered himself to Pakistan's security agencies.[7][8] However, ISPR's claim was disputed by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, who said that Ehansullah Ehsan was captured by ISI from Paktika province of Afghanistan.[9]
While Ehsan was in the custody of Pakistani security forces, several high ranking TTP members like Qari Saifullah Mehsud, Sheikh Khalid Haqqani and Qari Saif Younis were assassinated in Afghanistan.[4] TTP members believe that the Pakistan's ISI was responsible for the killings.[10][11] Several anti-terrorist operations were also conducted by Pakistani security forces in Pakistan based on the information provided by Ehsan.[12]
In early February 2020, Ehsanullah claimed that he has escaped from the custody of Pakistani Agencies.[13][14]
In December 2011, Ehsanullah disputed that the Pakistani Taliban was negotiating a cease-fire with the Pakistani government.[15] He asserted that the individuals negotiating that cease-fire were doing so without the authorization of the Taliban's leadership. He was sacked on 25 June 2013.[16]
In April 2017, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Asif Ghafoor announced that Ehsan had surrendered himself to Pakistan's security agencies.[7][8] However, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar disputed ISPR's claim. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar said that Ehansullah Ehsan did not surrender, rather he was captured by Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) from Paktika province of Afghanistan. The group further stated that Ehsan was captured on 7 March by Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) and was later handed over to the Pakistan army. Paktika province of Afghanistan is known as safe haven for multiple terrorist groups.[9]
In February 2020, Ehsanullah Ehsan managed to escape from the custody of Pakistani security forces. According to Pakistani officials, the ex-TTP spokesperson had shared extremely sensitive and important information while in custody, which led the security forces to smash the local and international networks of the TTP and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar.[12] Several terrorists from the outlawed groups were arrested based on his leads. Pakistani officials said that "Ehsan would be brought to justice, but first it was necessary to extract information from him to take the anti-terrorism operations to a logical conclusion." According to Pakistani officials, Ehsan managed to escape during an anti-terrorist operation.[12] At least 12 Pakistan army officers were punished for their lapses that allowed Ehsanullah to escape. Pakistan officials also said that efforts were being made to recapture Ehsan.[17]
Some of the attacks for which Ehsan claimed responsibility as a TTP and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar spokesman are:
"It's the first revenge for the martyrdom of... Bin Laden. There will be more," Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told the Reuters news agency by telephone from an undisclosed location.
A Pakistani Taliban spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan, claimed responsibility for the attack in a phone call to the Associated Press news agency. He said it was meant to avenge the death of commander Taj Gul in a US drone strike in October in the South Waziristan tribal area, a key sanctuary for the militants.
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In Urdu
`Talks by a handful of people with the government cannot be deemed as the Taliban talking,' Ehsan told The Associated Press by telephone from an undisclosed location.